Mount Dora's Lakeside Inn sold to Naples hotelier

MOUNT DORA — The Lakeside Inn, long one of this city's iconic treasures, was sold this week to a Naples man with a long history in hotel management.

Jim Gunderson, 51, said he and his wife, Alexandra, plan to move to Mount Dora and renovate the 87-room hotel.

"The inn is a wonderful icon in the community and I feel very, very fortunate to have the opportunity to purchase it and do what I can to ensure that it is preserved, protected and restored," Gunderson said. "This property is just so rich with history."

Any renovations "will not interfere with guest experiences," said Gunderson, a hotelier for nearly three decades and worked in management for several large hotels and resorts, including Marriott Hotels.

Built in 1883, the inn is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.